September 15, 2006

Today’s approval of H.R. 6061, The Secure Fence Act, is an important first step in regaining operational control over our borders and immigration policy, and we applaud the House leadership for bringing it to the floor, declared the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). H.R. 6061 requires the Department of Homeland Security to construct 700 miles of border fencing (FAIR advocates for 2,000 miles of fencing) and increase the use of technology at the border. After months of an immigration stand-off and attempts to link immigration enforcement with an amnesty for millions of illegal aliens, today’s passage of H.R.6061 marks the first mile in a marathon towards achieving true enforcement of our nation’s immigration laws.

More border walls, militarization, low-level aircraft and roads would further damage already-stressed wildlife and places, such as the Cactus Pygmy Owl and Sonoran Pronghorn in Arizona, Flat-Tailed Horned Lizard and Peninsular Ranges Bighorn Sheep in California, Jaguar and Mexican Gray Wolves in New Mexico, and the Rio Grande River, Ocelot, and Big Bend National Park in Texas. Triple walls are harmful to wildlife, blocking migration corridors and destroying valuable habitat. The distance of the triple wall -- 370 miles -- is approximately the distance of the entire border in Arizona.

I had planned to attend the commemoration at the U.S. Capitol.On further reflection, I decided I’ve heard enough from members of Congress who swallowed Bush’s lies about Saddam Hussein’s ties to al-Qaeda.Meanwhile, Osama Bin Laden’s trail has gone cold (and here).

I met Viguerie in June at the Media Giraffe conference. He recounted how conservatives used direct mail to go around the mainstream media gatekeepers. Viguerie said: “Without direct mail, there would be no conservative movement -- no Reagan, no Republican Revolution, no Bush.”

Then as now, “we wish to plead our own cause. Too long have others spoken for us.” Indeed, there’s an African proverb that says, “Until the lion writes his own history, the account of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.”